They write: “The financial crisis is only one of multiple crises that will affect every country, rich and poor alike.

“There’s also the global poverty crisis. Tens of millions of people across the developing world are expected to fall into extreme poverty and joblessness as a result of an economic mess originating in the United States. This is bad news for workers everywhere, as it means even more brutal competition in the globalized labor pool.

“And then there’s the climate crisis. If we don’t do something about that one, we could find out what a real meltdown feels like.

“Yet the richest nations in the world appear fixated almost entirely on the financial crisis, and specifically, on propping up their own financial firms. … [T]he approximately $4.1 trillion that the United States and European governments have committed to rescue financial firms is 40 times the money they’re spending to fight climate and poverty crises in the developing world.

“And as officials head to two upcoming global summits, there’s strong reason for concern that rich country governments may backtrack even further on their aid and climate finance commitments.”

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167